Spring-equalizer for vehicles



(No Model.)

F. L. F. E'ZELL.

SEEING EQUALIZER FOR VEHICLES.- NO. 260,960. Patented July 11, 1882.

' WITNESSES: N (/24, W j 5% ATTORN/EYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS LA FAYETTE EZELL, OF NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE.

SPRING-EQUALIZER FOR VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 260,960, dated July 11,1882.

Application filed April 21, 1882. (No model.)

*To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANCIS LA FAYEITEEZELL, of Nashville, in the countyof Davidson and State of Tennessee,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring-EqualizersforVehicles; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part ofthis specification, and in which- I igure 1 is a side elevation,partially in section, of one of the side springs of a vehicle providedwith my spring-equalizer; and Fig. 2 is a detail view of the rock-shaftwhich forms part of the same, with its lever-arms and bearing-blocks.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both thefigures.

My invention has relation to devices or appliances for equalizing thestrain upon the springs of vehicles; and it consists in the constructionand combination of parts hereinafter morefully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, S represents one of the springs, which issecured upon the usual spring-block, B, and cap 0 of the axle A by meansof the clip T and yoke Y.

The letter R denotes the bed-rail of the wagon box or body, and K thespring-bar apother side of the vehicle.

propriate to spring S and its mate on the Bar K rests, as usual, uponthe upper spring-block, b, of which of course there are two, one foreach spring.

E is a shaft or bar of round iron, the tenoned or shouldered ends 6 ofwhich are journaled in the upper spring-blocks, b b, as shown in Fig.2T1 the drawings. Shaft E has two rigid downward projecting arms, L L,the lower ends of which are jointed at l to arms X, which are pivoted orhinged in the yoke Y at m, one on each side.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings,the operation of my invention will readily be understood. When thewagon-box is depressed, and the spring with it, the pivoted arm X willpush its appropriate arm L of shaft E in an upward direction, thustilting or rocking the latter in i s bearings and thereby exercising acorresponding downward pressure on the spring opposite. Hence if thewagon is loaded unevenly or the pressure is greater on one side than onthe other, both springs will be affected equally through theconnecting-shaft E with its arms L L and X, and the wagon-bed will beevenly depressed on both sides and exercise an even downward pressure onthe springs, irrespective of the distribution of its load.

This device also prevents the springs from breaking when expanding insuddenly unloading the wagon (by dumping its load, for example) or fromthe reaction of the spring when the vehicle passes over ruts in theground, thus operating as a brace to strengthen the several connectingparts.

In order to regulate the play or throw of I the springs, the arms X Xare each made in two parts or sections, X and X, as shown in Fig. 2, theupper part, X, having a screw-threaded tenon, 00, so that it may bescrewed into the lower part, which is affixed to the yoke Y. In thismanner the arms X may be lengthened or shortened to regulate the strokeor play of the spring and to permit of the application of the device tosprings of different sizes. It is obvious that the device may also beapplied with advantage to buggies and other vehicles having but onespring on each axle to prevent tilting of the body.

I am aware that it is not new to provide a spring or pair of springswith a rock-shaft having a lip adapted to catch one of the leaves of thespring as it opens,and thus stop the motion upward, the bar being rockedin its bearings by an arm which connects it to the opposite leaf of thespring, as shown in the patent to B. J. Corey and E. Neff, No.169,524,hearing date of November 2,1875, nor do I claim such construction; but Iam not aware that a device has been constructed before provided with theextensible arms X X for regulating the play or stroke of the springs andcausing the pair of springs to move in unison at all times and under allstages or conditions of tension. Hence WVhat I claim as my improvement,and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-- In aspring-equalizer for vehicles, the combination of the transverserock-shaft E, having its hearings in the middle of the headblocks 1)above the upper leaves of the spring and provided with the fixed.downward-projecting arms L L, extensible arms X X X X, 5 pivoted attheir upper ends in arms L and at their lower ends at m in the yoke Y,and springs S, whereby the play or stroke of said springs may beregulated by regulating the length of the extensible arms X X, substan-IO tially as shown and set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereuntoaffixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANCIS LA FAYETTE EZELL.

Witnesses:

A. L. WATSON, H. O. EARLS.

